The six Goswamis of Vrindavan
were entrusted by Caitanya Mahaprabhu to provide extensive
guidance to people on the path of spirituality. Each of the six
Goswamis, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Sanatana Goswami, Sri Raghunatha
Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunatha Das Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami and
Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami, were instructed and inspired by
Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself at various times and places. While
Caitanya Mahaprabhu left only eight verse (Siksastakam) that were
recorded by
Damodara Svarupa and presented by Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami in
the biography Caitanya Charitamrita, He inspired His disciples,
chief amongst then the six Goswamis, to write extensively, with
scientific precision the process of bhakti.

Gopal Bhatta (1503-1578) was born in an orthodox Brahman family
in South India. His father Vyenkata Bhatta was a priest of the
famous Narayana temple of Sri Rangam. Vyenkata Bhatta and his
brothers, Prabhodhananda Saraswati and Tirumalla Bhatta were
famous for their vast learning and piety. When Caitanya
Mahaprabhu had undertaken His walking trip to South India in
1511, He spent the four rainy months of Caturmasa with them and
engaged in deep discussion about philosophy and bhakti.

Even though the brothers belonged to the Sri (Laxmi) Sampradaya
which follows the aishwarya (awe and reverence) mode of worship,
Mahaprabhu convinced the brothers about the superiority of the
ragunaga (spontaneous love) form of worship. Young Gopal was a
keen audience to these discussions and was greatly inspired by
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When the departure of Mahaprabhu became
imminent, the pain of separation became unbearable for Gopal
Bhatta, till he was pacified by Caitanya Mahaprabhu in a
spiritual dream where Mahaprabhu revealed His original identity
as Krishna and instructed Gopal Bhatta to serve under Rupa and
Sanatana Goswami in Vrindavan.

Before leaving how ever, Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally
instructed Gopal Bhatta to serve his parents while they were
alive. Gopal Bhatta followed these instructions were assiduously.
In time he accepted his uncle Prabhodhanada Saraswati to be his
spiritual master and acquired a deep understanding of the
Sanskrit, grammar, poetry and Vedic scriptures from him. With the
combined assets of Prabhodhanada Saraswatis vast knowledge
and divine inspiration of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gopal
Bhattas reputation as a scholar and a devotee reached
unprecedented proportions. In time he decided that he was now
ready to carry out the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and
proceeded to Vrindavan to meet Rupa and Sanatana
Goswami.

When
Gopal Bhatta arrived to Vrindavan, he was met with great joy by
the pure devotees residing there. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, now in
Puri, was also pleased and send him many personal articles and
paraphernalia for worship. Following these instructions, Gopal
Bhatta immersed himself in writing about the science of bhakti.
His book Sat-Kriya-Sar-Dipika is a classic on the tenets of
Gaudiya Vaishnavism. This delineates with great care the ten
rituals or samsakaras giving common people valuable guidance on
the gradual elevation to spiritual life while pursuing
materialistic activities.

His next book Samskara Dipika, elucidates the rules of behavior
and conduct of the sannyasis or renunciants. His greatest work is
the Hari-Bhakti-Vilas, which he corroborated with Rupa Goswami,
comprises of twenty vilas (chapters) that provided a scientific,
step-by-step analysis of Vaishnava etiquette, and takes one
through the pitfalls and dangers in the path of spiritual
advancement. Living his life as an embodiment of the scriptures,
Gopal Bhattas fame as a scholar and a pure devotee spread
all over India.

In a trip to the Gandaki river in Nepal, Gopal Bhatta carried
back with him twelve shilas (special stones that are considered
as incarnations of Krishna). However on reaching Vrindavan, he
felt himself unqualified to worship them and made the long,
arduous journey back to place the shilas back in the river. The
shilas however refused to be left in the water and repeatedly
jumped back into his hand. Taking this as a sign from Krishna,
Gopal Bhatta took them back with him and began worshipping them
very nicely in Vrindavan.

Once on a festival, Gopal Bhatta felt constrained by his
inability to dress and decorate the shilas. Responding to his
intense desire, one of the shilas, called the Damodar shila,
overnight acquired the form of a deity, much to the pleasure of
Gopal Bhatta. This deity, named as Radha Ramandev, is still
worshipped in the same place in Vrindavan and is one of the most
famous temples in the Vraja dhama. Gopal Bhatta initiated such
luminaries as Shrinivas Acarya and Gopinatha Pujari who continued
as the priest for Radha Ramandev. On the instructions of Gopal
Bhatta (who himself was a lifelong celibate), Gopinatha Pujari
married and his descendants worship the Radha-Ramandev deity to
this day.

Gopal Bhatta is famous for his erudition, humility and devotion.
His intense study and elaborate knowledge of scriptures acquired
him a reputation as one of the most important religious scholar
ever produced, while his love and devotion for Caitanya
Mahaprabhu and Sri Krishna catapulted him to the status of a
saint. He is always revered as one of the six Goswamis of
Vrindavan and to this day followers commemorate his exemplary
life by visiting his samadhi (tomb) at the Radha-Ramandev temple
in Vrindavan.